Adhesive Patch And Method Of Use In A Packaging System

ABSTRACT

An adhesive patch and method of use thereof for forming a plurality of stackable items into a vertically stacked load are described. The method may include delivering an aligned stack of items positioned on a pallet for eventual transportation while minimizing the misalignment of the stackable items.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/455,322, filed Apr. 25, 2012 which claims priority under 35 U.S.C.§119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/479,112 filed Apr. 26,2011, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference intheir entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to an adhesive patch and methods for its use forgrouping, stacking and connecting items and thereafter delivering thestack of items. In particular, the invention relates to an adhesivepatch and method for forming a plurality of stackable items into avertically stacked load.

BACKGROUND

It is of considerable importance to manufacturers of consumer goods thattheir products be shipped to the end-user in a most economical,efficient, convenient and effective manner. The consumer goods aretypically transported from the manufacturer in bulk, as pallet loads ofstacked boxes, each of which may contain a substantial number of unitsof the product.

When large numbers of stackable products must be transported in largequantities to another location, the products may be arranged in a tightgrouping, or array of products. Each array of products can be stacked ona pallet in layers, the pallets subsequently being transported byfreight hauling compartments known in the art, e.g., for truck, rail,sea or air vessels.

While in transit, an unstable pallet can topple over leading tosignificant increases with respect to product delivery time and cost.When an unstable pallet topples over, the safety of those nearby isjeopardized.

Stretch wrap or stretch film is a highly stretchable plastic film thatis wrapped around items. The elastic recovery keeps the items tightlybound. In contrast, shrink wrap is applied loosely around an item andshrinks tightly with heat. It is frequently used to unitize pallet loadsbut also may be used for bundling smaller items. The most common stretchwrap material is linear low-density polyethylene or LLDPE, which isproduced by copolymerization of ethylene with alpha-olefins, the mostcommon of which are butene, hexene and octene. The use of higheralpha-olefins (hexene or octene) gives rise to enhanced stretch filmcharacteristics, particularly in respect of elongation at break andpuncture resistance. Many films have about 500% stretch at break but areonly stretched to about 100-300% in use. Once stretched, the elasticrecovery is used to keep the load tight.

Shrink wrap, also shrinkwrap or shrink film, is a material made up ofpolymer plastic film. When heat is applied it shrinks tightly overwhatever it is covering. Heat can be applied with a hand held heat gun(electric or gas) or the product and film can pass through a heat tunnelon a conveyor. Shrink wrap is commonly used as an overwrap on many typesof packaging, including cartons, boxes, beverage cans and pallet loads.A variety of products may be enclosed in shrink wrap to stabilize theproducts, unitize them, keep them clean or add tamper resistance.

Shrink wrapping is currently the industry standard for grouping arraysof product and stretch wrap is currently the industry standard forsecuring loose stacks of products stacked on pallets. In shrinkwrapping, the product to be shipped is wrapped with a material, usuallya film, which shrinks when warmed, thereby securing the wrapping to thematerial and generating a secured shipping bundle. In stretch wrapping,the array of stacked products is wrapped with film that is stretched andthe tension in the stretched film serving to hold the stacked productstogether.

Once the bundle wrapped by the stretch wrapping and shrink wrappingprocess has reached its shipping destination, the stretch wrap andshrink wrap material must be removed from the bundle by manual removal,including cutting, and the wrap must be discarded.

Thus, there are a number of disadvantages associated with stretchwrapping and shrink wrapping, including the use of heat to shrink thewrapping material, which is both energy intensive but may also ruin theconsumer product. The machinery required for stretch wrapping and shrinkwrapping requires extensive use of factory floor space. Both stretchwrapping and shrink wrapping require a large amount of material whichincreases overall packaging costs, as well as, poses environmental anddisposal concerns.

In stretch wrapped units, vibration during shipping can cause thecontainers on the lower layers to shift closer together, creating anunstable palletized unit having an uneven load distribution, which putsundue stress on the containers. The damaged containers can cost thecustomer money and produce an unsafe situation for the customer.

Therefore, there is a need in the packaging art for an alternative toconventional packaging methods that provides an economical and efficientpackaging system to connect multiples boxes together for eventualtransport by providing significant materials saving and decrease inoverall packaging costs.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment of the present invention an adhesive patch is providedfor application to the outer surface of multiple packaging units havingcohesive and adhesive strength that is sufficient to connect, align andhold packaging units together, the patch comprising a non-water solubleadhesive on a first major surface having an adhesive strength sufficientto hold the packaging units together where the adhesive strength isequal to or greater than the cohesive strength of the packaging unitsurfaces; and a non-adhesive second major surface disposed on a sideopposite side the first major surface.

In a specific embodiment of the present invention, an adhesive patch isprovided further comprising a sensor device to detect exposure of ashipment to extreme temperatures, radiation, or moisture.

In a specific embodiment of the present invention, an adhesive patch isprovided wherein a sensor device is embedded within the adhesive patch.

In a specific embodiment of the present invention, an adhesive patch isprovided having embedded electronic components for scanning, detecting,product counting or similar purposes.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an adhesive patch isprovided having an embedded sensor device that is a radio frequencyidentification (RFID) sensor.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, an adhesive patchis provided having a diameter of at least about 0.3-20 inches.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, an adhesive patchis provided having a surface area of about 0.09-400 inches².

In another embodiment of the present invention, an adhesive patch isprovided wherein the non-adhesive second major surface optionallyincludes at least one of product information and branding information.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an assembly of packagingboxes arranged for transport is provided comprising a first unitizedcube of four boxes in stacked side-by side alignment forming anintersection at the abutting four corners of the four boxes; and a firstadhesive patch located on the proximal side of the intersection of thefour corners, a second adhesive patch located on the distal side of theintersection of the four corners.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an assembly of packagingboxes arranged for transport is provided further comprising a secondunitized cube of four boxes in stacked side-by side alignment forming anintersection at the abutting four corners of the four boxes; a thirdadhesive patch located on the proximal side of the intersection of thefour corners of the second unitized cube; a fourth adhesive patchlocated on the distal side of the intersection of the four corners ofthe second unitized cube; and the first unitized cube and the secondunitized cube placed in adjacent side-by side alignment on a palletforming an interface between the first unitized cube and the secondunitized cube.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an assembly of packagingboxes arranged for transport is provided further comprising a fifthadhesive patch located on the proximal side of the interface between thefirst unitized cube and the second unitized cube; and a sixth adhesivepatch located on the proximal side of the interface between the firstunitized cube and the second unitized cube.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided forstacking a plurality of stackable items onto a pallet comprising (a)placing four boxes in stacked side-by side alignment having anintersection at the abutting four corners of the four boxes; (b) placinga first adhesive patch at the proximal side of the intersection of thefour corners; and (c) placing a second adhesive patch at the distal sideof the intersection of the four corners to form a first unitized cube.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided forstacking a plurality of stackable items onto a pallet further comprisingforming a second unitized cube by placing four additional boxes instacked side-by side alignment forming an intersection at the abuttingfour corners of the four boxes; placing a third adhesive patch at theproximal side of the intersection of the four corners of the secondunitized cube; and placing a fourth adhesive patch of claim 1 at thedistal side of the intersection of the four corners of the secondunitized cube.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided forstacking a plurality of stackable items onto a pallet further comprisingplacing the first unitized cube and the second unitized cube in adjacentside-by side alignment on a pallet forming an interface between thefirst unitized cube and the second unitized cube; placing a fifthadhesive patch at the proximal side of the interface between the firstunitized cube and the second unitized cube, and placing a sixth adhesivepatch at the proximal side of the interface between the first unitizedcube and the second unitized cube.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided forstacking a plurality of stackable items onto a pallet further comprisingcreating a pallet load of unitized cubes; stacking the pallet loaddirectly on top of each other to form vertical columns such that thecorners of the boxes are stacked on top of each other from box to box;and repeating the aforementioned steps to create a stack of boxes untilthe full desired height of the pallet load is achieved.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided forstacking a plurality of stackable items onto a pallet further comprisingplacing an adhesive patch on any non-edge forming interface between twoor more boxes not already connected.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided forstacking a plurality of stackable items onto a pallet further comprisingplacing an adhesive patch at the interfaces between two or more boxesfor only the two layers of cubes closest to the pallet.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided forstacking a plurality of stackable items onto a pallet further comprisingplacing an adhesive patch on any columns of boxes internal to the outerlayer of boxes on the pallet on which adhesive patches are placed.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided forstacking a plurality of stackable items onto a pallet further comprisingplacing an adhesive patch at the interfaces between two or more boxes onthe top of the topmost layer of adjacent boxes stacked on the pallet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating visual representations of theadhesive patches used to form unitized cubes for a pallet layeraccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an alternative configurationof the adhesive patches used to form unitized cubes for a pallet layeraccording to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the unitized cube shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the unitized cube shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an end view of an alternative configuration of a unitized cubeof boxes;

FIG. 6 is an end view of a full pallet of stacked unitized cubes; and

FIG. 7 is an end view of an alternative configuration of stackedunitized cubes on a full pallet; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative configuration of a fullpallet of stacked unitized cubes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before describing several exemplary embodiments of the invention, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited to the details ofconstruction or process steps set forth in the following description.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orbeing carried out in various ways.

According to one or more embodiments, an adhesive patch and method ofuse thereof in a packaging system are provided for the shipping ofpalletized stacked products that keeps the product containers neatlystacked in vertical columns on the pallet. Accordingly, in one aspect,an adhesive patch and method of use thereof in a packaging system allowsthe product containers to move slightly during shipping but restrictsgreater lateral and vertical movement to prevent damage to theindividual containers. The adhesive patches can link the unitizedproduct containers into cubes and series of unitized cubes into columnsto help distribute and control the abusive forces that occur duringshipping and handling. The packaging system can be used for palletizedproducts and allows for stacking of multiple palletized units. Themethod and system can be used to form a plurality of stackable unitizedcubes into a vertically stacked column of unitized cubes thatsimultaneously loads and aligns stacked unitized cubes in a verticalfashion for eventual transport.

According to one or more embodiments, an adhesive patch and method foruse thereof in a packaging system provide an economical and efficientpackaging system providing significant materials saving. Such systemsand methods can provide a method for using an adhesive patch wherein 80%less material are used to connect the same number of cardboard boxes asconventional methods currently used in the packaging industry, e.g.,shrink wrap. In addition, the adhesive patch, system and methods canprovide significant energy saving when compared to conventional methodscurrently used in the packaging industry, e.g., elimination of theheating process that is used with shrink wrap process and replacing itwith small amount of adhesive that is used with the adhesive patches ofthe present invention.

The adhesive patches, systems and methods can be used for a product,box, or article that could be of any configuration that is stacked forshipment or storage on a pallet. The term “product” as used in thepresent specification includes, but is not limited to, a box, can,carton, containers or pouches. The term “box” is not intended to belimiting and is used as a generic for stackable materials being stackedtogether.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the adhesive patchincludes, but is not limited to, adhesive on a first major surface, anopposite non-adhesive second major surface, and any conventional readilyremovable liner. The adhesive patch is provided with a liner bonded tothe adhesive surface until the adhesive patch is ready for use. Theliner also prevents the surfaces from sticking together when the tape iswound upon itself to form a roll or arranged in a stack. Typical linersinclude a backing formed of, for example, paper or a polymeric film suchas polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, or polyester, orcombinations of any of these materials, which is coated with a releaseagent such as silicone, a fluorochemical, or other low surface energybased release material. A specific example of a liner is silicone coatedpaper. The non-adhesive second major surface of the patch may be printedwith brand indicia, or other product information. Each liner can beindividually removed from adhesive first major surface. By removing theliner, a corresponding portion of an adhesive surface is exposed toallow the patch to be affixed to a substrate.

The present invention comprises an adhesive patch that could be placedover an interface between two, three, four or more boxes to connect theboxes. The adhesive and cohesive strength of the adhesive patch of thepresent invention may be used to connect, group and align multipleboxes. The number of boxes that can be connected is dependent on shapeof the box cross-section, shipping requirements, and other factors.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention wherein a minimum of twoadhesive patches 10 can be used to connect four cardboard boxes 20, 22to form a unitized cube 30 of boxes by placing them over the locationswhere the four corners, (one from each respective box) intersect. Oneadhesive patch is placed on the proximal, or front, side of theintersection of the four corners, and another adhesive patch is placedon the distal, or rear, side where four box corners form a cross-shapedinterface.

FIGS. 2-4 show an alternative embodiment of the invention, wherein theadhesive patch 10 of the invention is placed on four boxes 20, 22arranged in a cross-like pattern to form a unitized cube 30 consistingof two lower boxes 20 and two upper boxes 22. The pattern ensures equaland counteracting forces stabilizing the articles and prevents them frombeing shifted when subjected to vibrational force. As shown in FIG. 3,an adhesive patch 10 may be used to secure the two upper boxes 26 attheir top portion. This pattern of packaging may be chosen formechanically demanding fields of application, e.g., transport ofarticles by trucks over wide distances with relatively high speed.

In one or more embodiments, adhesive patches may also be placed at theedges of the outer boxes of the cube or pallet where two box cornersmeet. The adhesive patches placed at the edges of the outer boxes of thecube can have L-shaped cross-section for improved adhesion thusproviding additional stability to the unitized cube or pallet. In oneembodiment of the present invention, the adhesive patch may be composedof reinforced fiber board with adhesive coated inner surfaces, whichalso helps to protect the boxes and unitized cube from side impact loadsthat could damage the boxes and products contained inside the boxes. Inone or more embodiment, circular shaped, T-shaped, rectangular shaped,cross-shaped, pentagon shaped and L-shaped adhesive patches may beapplied to the intersection of corners of the boxes.

When assembling boxes into a unitized cube or subsequently assemblingthe unitized cubes onto a pallet for eventual transport, the locationand number of adhesive patches can be optimized. In a specificembodiment, at least two adhesive patches are required to hold fourboxes together in a unitized cube. When unitized cubes are placed onpallets, all interfaces between two or more boxes not already connectedand held together by adhesive patches, should be held together usingadhesive patches with the exception of interfaces along edges. In aspecific embodiment, adhesive patches are required to be placed at theinterfaces for only the two layers of cubes closest to the pallet tooptimize the number of adhesive patches. In one embodiment, any columnsof boxes internal to the outer layer of boxes on the pallet on whichadhesive patches are placed could be additionally secured by connectingto adjacent boxes on the top of the topmost layer of boxes stacked onthe pallet. This is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in which the top of theunitized cube 30 has a single adhesive patch 10 connecting the topsurfaces of the upper boxes 22 of the unitized cube 30.

As can be seen from FIG. 5, the configuration of boxes does not have tobe symmetrical. As shown in FIG. 5, unitized cube 32 comprises threeboxes. A single lower box 24 provides the base of the unitized cube 32.Upper boxes 26 form the top portion of the unitized cube 32. Adhesivepatch 10 is placed at the intersection of the two corners of the upperboxes 26 and the top portion of lower box 24. Of course, similar to theconfiguration shown in FIG. 3, an adhesive patch 10 may be used tosecure the two upper boxes 26 at their top portion.

Different adhesive patches with respect to size, shape, color, etc.,could be used for holding the boxes together to form a unitized cube.Likewise, different adhesive patches with respect to size, shape, color,etc., could be used for holding the cubes together in a pallet. Sincethe pallet level external forces and loads are higher than thatexperienced at a cube level, the surface area of the adhesive patchesused to hold the cubes in the pallet together is made larger than theadhesive patches used to hold the boxes in a cube together. The largersurface area provides greater adhesive forces which are necessary towithstand pallet level loads. In another embodiment of the presentinvention, different size adhesive patches help distinguish betweenadhesive patches used to hold boxes in cubes together and cubes in thepallet together, allowing an end user to cut the adhesive patch based onwhether a unitized cube or individual box needs to be taken from pallet.

In another embodiment of the present invention, adhesive patches may beused to allocate boxes into cubes of product, which is the minimum orderquantity or smallest shipping unit size.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an adhesive patch of thepresent invention may also be used to hold adjacent boxes together andprevent their separation of the adjacent boxes by providing a resistiveforce that arises from their resistance to tensile elongation whensubjected to external forces. The adhesive force in the shear planeproduced between the adhesive patch and the surface of the box serves tocounter the tensile force of the adhesive patch.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an adhesive patch of thepresent invention used to hold adjacent boxes together also helps tokeep the edges of boxes aligned vertically thus contributing to theoverall structural integrity of the pallet since the edges of the boxessupports a large proportion of support of the compressive loads fromproduct on top of the boxes. The alignment of edges along a verticalline improves the overall compressive load capacity of the pallet. It isknown to one of skill in the art that if the box edges are misaligned inthe cube, they will be misaligned when the cubes are placed on thepallet and thus resulting in sections of the box, other than the edge,not designed to hold compressive loads supporting the top load, reducingthe compressive load bearing capacity of the total pallet. This willresult in lower pallet loads and possibly lower transportationefficiency.

In one or more embodiment of the present invention, adhesive patchesused to hold cubes together in a pallet serve multiple functions. Forexample, adhesive patches used to hold cubes together in a pallet resistlateral forces that arise due to changes in inertia on the boxes duringtransportation. These lateral forces are resisted by the adhesive forcesacting in a plane transverse to the plane of the adhesive patch.

In one embodiment, adhesive patches used to hold unitized cubes togetheralso prevent separation of boxes arising from forces due to verticalvibration.

In one embodiment, adhesive patches used to hold unitized cubes togetheralso align the edges of cubes so as to provide the compressive loadresistance to support top loads on the pallet during double stacking. Byaligning the edges of boxes and providing resistive forces to lateral,vertical and other loads that the cube and pallet are subjected to theadhesive patches provide a stabilization system for transportation thatgroups boxes in desired quantities.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for using theadhesive patch of the present invention is provided comprising placing afirst adhesive patch on the proximal, or front, side of the intersectionof the four corners of stacked boxes; placing a second adhesive patch onthe distal, or rear, side where four box corners form a cross-shapedinterface to form a unitized cube. The unitized cube is then placed on apallet. After a pallet load has been partially “built”, that is unitizedcube of boxes is placed in a predetermined pattern, at least oneadhesive patch is placed at the intersection of two unitized cubes ofboxes to add stability to the partially palletized load. The boxes arestacked directly on top of each other to form vertical columns such thatthe strongest parts of the boxes, the corners, are stacked on top ofeach other from box to box. The stacking of unitized cubes of boxescontinues until the full desired height of the pallet load is achieved.It is understood that pattern for arranging the boxes and the unitizedcubes will be determined to minimize the number of patches needed toachieve the packaging function desired.

A pallet layer templates may be used to define patterns of unitizedcubes which can be arranged to form a full layer of boxes on the pallet.Any of a variety of possible arrangements of the unitized cubes whichcan accommodate any of a number of different case sizes depending uponthe size of a pallet base and the dimensions of the cases to be placedonto the pallet base including, but not limited to, box shape, boxlength, box width, and box orientation.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the method is carriedout by a machine or robotic arm that applies the first and secondadhesive patches at the respective proximal and distal side of theinterface of the four boxes to form a unitized cube and subsequentpalletizing of unitized cubes. In one or more embodiments of the presentinvention, the palletizing of unitized cubes can be done using a singlerobotic arm that is programmed to place adhesive patches at specificlocations or uses a vision system to detect interfaces of boxes on thepallet and places adhesive patches at those respective locations.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, an adhesive patch 10 of the invention isplaced at the intersection of four corners of boxes to provide theunitized cubes 30, which can subsequently placed on pallets 40. In theconfiguration shown in FIG. 6, the boxes have a similar cross-sectionaldimension, and the adhesive patches 10 are arranged at the four-cornerintersections of the boxes in a staggered configuration, both verticallyand horizontally. In other words, at the junction of the boxes in rows100 and 200, adhesive patches are located at the four cornerintersection of columns A and B and C and D. There is no adhesive patchlocated that the four corner intersection of columns B and C and rows100 and 200. This staggered configuration continues at the intersectionof rows 200 and 300, where the vertical intersection of columns A and Band C and D at the four corners between rows 200 and 300 do not containan adhesive patch, but the intersection at columns B an C at the fourcorners between rows 200 and 300 does contain an adhesive patch 10.Moving to horizontal rows 300 and 400, the four corner intersectionbetween rows 300 and 400 and columns A and B and C and D contains anadhesive patch, while the intersection of the four corners of rows 300and 400 and columns and columns B and C does not contain an adhesivepatch. As can be seen from FIG. 6, this results in a pattern in whichthe four corner intersection of box corners along diagonals of theunitized cube 30 are covered with adhesive patches. This configurationof patches can be referred to as a vertically and horizontally staggeredarrangement of patches at the four corner intersections of boxes.

In FIG. 7 another staggered configuration is shown, but with boxes ofdifferent cross-sectional size. Again, in the configuration shown inFIG. 7, the bottom two rows of boxes 100 and 200 have adhesive patches10 at every vertical intersection of box corners, but at the verticalintersection of box corners between rows 200 and 300, every othervertical intersection of box corners is covered by an adhesive patch 10.A similar pattern is repeated at the vertical intersection of boxcorners between rows 300 and 400 results in an overall staggeredconfiguration of adhesive patches vertically and horizontally.

Such a staggered configuration as shown in FIG. 6 is also shown in FIG.8. FIG. 8 shows a unitized cube 230 comprising twelve horizontal rowscomprising six boxes stacked upon each and six vertical columns oftwelve boxes stacked adjacent each other on the side face 250 of theunitized cube 230 is shown. The individual boxes are rectangular and onthe front and rear faces 260 comprise twelve horizontal rows comprisingthree boxes stacked upon each and three vertical columns of twelve boxesstacked adjacent each other stacked adjacent each other. The unitizedcube 230 is stacked on a pallet 280, which is moved by the pallet truck290 shown in FIG. 8. As will be appreciated from FIG. 8, the samestaggered configuration of adhesive labels is used as in FIG. 6 in whichalternating vertical and horizontal four corner intersections of boxesare covered in alternating row and column intersections on the side face250. On the front face 260, alternate horizontal rows contain adhesivepatches in a non-staggered configuration. Such a packaging arrangementin which the side faces of the unitized cube are adhesively secured bypatches in a staggered configuration as described above has successfullypassed initial loading and unloading tests of a unitized cube 230 asshown.

It is also contemplated to use the adhesive patches in combination withother packaging solutions. For example, the cube pack made usingadhesive labels can be palletized using conventional stretch wrap orother palletizing solutions. In one or more embodiments, the adhesivepatch of the present invention may be used in combination with theexisting conventional packaging products, e.g., shrink wrap or otherpackaging technologies. For example, in one embodiment, the adhesivepatches could be used to connect or group unitized cubes of products andsubsequently stretch wrap foil or tape may be used to group multiplecubes on a pallet. Use of the adhesive patch of the present invention incombination with other conventional approaches allows for palletstabilization, pallet protection, and box protection includingprotection from environmental factors and external loads.

The adhesive patch and method of use thereof in a packaging system maybe used with a conventional pallet constructed from wood or laminatedcorrugated material may be used with the is provided with sufficientsize to arrange a plurality of items in side-by-side arrangementthereon.

To maximize pallet volume, conventional pallet configuration patternsand systems, which work cooperatively with robots, may be used to rotatethe boxes 90 degrees around horizontal and vertical axes relative to thebox on which they are placed to obtain more pallet and spaceefficiencies. In one specific embodiment, the boxes may be added inlayers of assembled unitized cubes to a pallet in columnar fashion. Thatis, such systems may add the assembled cubes to pallets by stackingadditional assembled cubes directly atop of cubes already placed on thepallet. This technique results in pallets made up of a series ofcolumns. The series of columns must be in linear alignment with theassembled cubes placed on the pallet below it. Pallets built in columnarfashion, however, can be unstable and subject to collapse. In fact,pallet instability often increases with column height. It is alsocontemplated that methods of arranging cubes in interlocking layerswhich resemble the layers of bricks within a masonry wall may also beused in the present invention. In a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the assembled unitized cubes are arranged in columnar fashionon a pallet.

One of the advantages of the invention is that column stacks of boxes orarticles can be made since adhesive patches interconnect the unitizedcube of boxes forming the pallet load at intervals during the buildingof the palletized load thus increasing the stack integrity. By allowingcolumn stacks, rather than the interlocked stacks of previously knownpalletizers, the inherent strength of the boxes or cartons can beutilized in order to create strong unified, unitized stacks of products.The adhesive patch and methods of use thereof of the present inventionallow for greater stack height, heavier loads, more dense loading on apallet using less packaging material than conventional packaging systemsand resulting decreased shipping costs, decreased damage to the productsresulting from collapse of the boxes on the lower levels of the stack,and decreased resultant waste providing environmental benefits.

Adhesive patches may be constructed of conventional materials known toone of skill in the art in the packaging art including, but not limitedto, paper, reinforcer or laminated paper, or plastic/polymer (single ofmultilayer films) or any combination of these materials.

Adhesive could be pre-applied to form a self-adhesive patch or appliedseparately (spray, roll or similar) to the box and/or patch beforeplacing the patch on the predetermined location. Size and shape of thepatch as well as adhesive strength of the adhesive may be optimizedbased numerical and experimental ship test simulations known to one ofskill in the art.

In addition, adhesive patches of the present invention may also providea labeling function to carry important product information. The adhesivepatch also enables branding information to be displayed on a unitizedcube or pallet. In one or more embodiments of the present invention,information such as product information, branding and similar desiredinformation may be printed on the adhesive patch before or after itsapplication.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the adhesive patchcan also contain embedded or attached sensor devices which could detectexposure of the shipment to extreme temperatures, radiation, moisture orsimilar. In one or more embodiments of the present invention, theadhesive patch could have embedded electronic components for scanning,detecting, product counting or similar purposes. In a preferredembodiment, a radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor is embeddedinto the adhesive patch of the present invention for scanning, tracking,detecting, product counting or similar purposes.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the adhesivepatches provide evidence for proof of interference or alteration of thepallet. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive patch will need to beseparated from the box surface or cut when boxes are needed to beseparated from the pallet or cube, thereby providing evidence oftampering with the cube or pallet, eg. instances where shipping palletloads of product are dismantle and reassemble pallets to obtain greatertransportation efficiencies.

The adhesive patch of the present invention has dimensions of about0.03-20 inches in width, about 0.03-20 inches in length, and about0.03-20 inches in diameter. It is understood that the present inventionallows adjustments to the length, width and diameter of the adhesivepatch depending upon the specific application, size of the box, andweight upon loading of the boxes.

It is known in the prior art that in palletized loads, once the unitload is broken to remove even one or two of the rectangular objects orpackages, the structural integrity of the unit load is destroyed. Theindividual objects or boxes of the unit load then become difficult tomove from one place to another and with the unit load broken, thepossibility of pilferage, or loss of cartons due to cartons falling offof the pallet, is quite high.

Therefore a modularized pallet of square or rectangular boxes is desiredas shown in FIGS. 6-8. The pallet load is comprised of a plurality ofunitized cube of boxes. Each of the unitized cube of boxes comprises aparallel array of four boxes, the four boxes being stacked inside-by-side relationship. The unitized cube of boxes are arranged in acolumnar fashion and stacked in side-by-side relationship to form apallet load. Two or more adhesive patches are provided forinterconnecting the unitized cube of boxes.

It will be understood that the configurations shown in FIGS. 1-8 areexemplary only, and other variations are within the scope of theinvention.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a robotic armhaving the capability of receiving unitized cubes of boxes from a sourceof supply may be used to transfer the unitized cubes of boxes on to apallet. In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a roboticarm may then provide an adhesive patch at the intersection of two ormore unitized cubes of boxes in order to “build” a stable pallet load.

To remove a unitized cube from the pallet, the adhesive patches aresevered and sufficient force is applied to the unitized cube to separatethe unitized cube from the pallet. The unitized cube of four boxes isstill bound together in rectangular or cube form by at least twoadhesive patches and may then be transported from one location toanother. The remainder of the pallet still forms an integral packagethat may be transported by forklift, or the like, from one location toanother without concern for tampering, pilferage, or loss of one or moreof the boxes during subsequent transport.

The adhesive patch may be removed from a substrate by gripping andpulling an edge of the patch, severing the patch with using conventionalcutting means such as scissors or a utility knife, or by means of a pulltabs or tear strip incorporated with the body of the adhesive patch.

The adhesive is of a type known in the packaging field and has thecharacteristic that it has a significant or high strength component in afirst lateral direction of the film, and this strength is effective tohinder or prevent relative horizontal movement of both the unitized cubeof boxes and the assembled pallet of unitized cube of boxes. Thisprovides stability in the columns of unitized cube of boxes on thepallet. The adhesive may be any suitable non-water soluble adhesiveknown in the art. An adhesive having a peel strength that is equal orgreater than the cohesive strength of the substrate may be desired inone or more embodiments. In some embodiments of the present invention,an adhesive having a peel strength of 1 lbs. per inch or more such thatthe adhesive force between the patch and substrate is greater than thecohesive forces that characterize the substrate is desired. It is notedthat an adhesive having an adhesive strength greater than the cohesivestrength of the substrate will allow for detection of any evidence oftampering with said packaging.

Adhesives which may be used can be selected from tackified rubber-basedadhesives like natural gums, olefins, silicones, polyisoprenes,polybutadiene, polyurethane, styrene-isoprene-styrene andstyrene-butadienestyrene block copolymers and other elastomers showinglow recovery, as well as tackified or non-tackified acrylic adhesivessuch as copolymers of isooctyl acrylate and acrylic acid, which may bepolymerized by radiation, solution suspension or emulsion processes.

The surface area of the adhesive patch is from 0.09 inches² to 400inches². The surface area of the adhesive patch will depend on severalfactors including, but not limited to, the size of the box, the weightof the boxes and the strength of the adhesive.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the diameter of theadhesive patch may be from 0.1 inches to 48 inches. In a preferredembodiment, the diameter of the adhesive patch is from 2 inches to 8inches. The adhesive patch of the present invention can be provided instrips of varying lengths, in roll form, or in a stack.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “certainembodiments,” “one or more embodiments” or “an embodiment” means that aparticular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described inconnection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment ofthe invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases such as “in one ormore embodiments,” “in certain embodiments,” “in one embodiment” or “inan embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are notnecessarily referring to the same embodiment of the invention.Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, orcharacteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreembodiments.

Although the invention herein has been described with reference toparticular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodimentsare merely illustrative of the principles and applications of thepresent invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatvarious modifications and variations can be made to the method andapparatus of the present invention without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present inventioninclude modifications and variations that are within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed:
 1. An assembly of packaging boxes arranged fortransport comprising: a first unitized cube of four boxes in stackedside-by side alignment forming an intersection at the abutting fourcorners of the four boxes; and a first adhesive patch located on theproximal side of the intersection of the four corners, a second adhesivepatch located on the distal side of the intersection of the fourcorners.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a secondunitized cube of four boxes in stacked side-by side alignment forming anintersection at the abutting four corners of the four boxes; a thirdadhesive patch located on the proximal side of the intersection of thefour corners of the second unitized cube; a fourth adhesive patchlocated on the distal side of the intersection of the four corners ofthe second unitized cube; and the first unitized cube and the secondunitized cube placed in adjacent side-by side alignment on a palletforming an interface between the first unitized cube and the secondunitized cube.
 3. The assembly of claim 2, further comprising: a fifthadhesive patch located on the proximal side of the interface between thefirst unitized cube and the second unitized cube; and a sixth adhesivepatch located on the proximal side of the interface between the firstunitized cube and the second unitized cube.
 4. The assembly of claim 1,further comprising a sensor device to detect exposure of a shipment toextreme temperatures, radiation, or moisture.
 5. The assembly of claim4, wherein the sensor device is embedded within the adhesive patch. 6.The assembly of packaging boxes claim 1, further comprising embeddedelectronic components for scanning, detecting, product counting orsimilar purposes, preferably wherein the embedded sensor device is aradio frequency identification (RFID) sensor.
 7. A method for stacking aplurality of stackable items onto a pallet comprising: (a) placing fourboxes in stacked side-by side alignment having an intersection at theabutting four corners of the four boxes; (b) placing a first adhesivepatch at the proximal side of the intersection of the four corners; and(c) placing a second adhesive patch at the distal side of theintersection of the four corners to form a first unitized cube.
 8. Themethod of claim 7, further comprising: (d) forming a second unitizedcube by placing four additional boxes in stacked side-by side alignmentforming an intersection at the abutting four corners of the four boxes;(e) placing a third adhesive patch at the proximal side of theintersection of the four corners of the second unitized cube; and (f)placing a fourth adhesive patch of claim 1 at the distal side of theintersection of the four corners of the second unitized cube.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, further comprising: (g) placing the first unitizedcube and the second unitized cube in adjacent side-by side alignment ona pallet forming an interface between the first unitized cube and thesecond unitized cube; (h) placing a fifth adhesive patch at the proximalside of the interface between the first unitized cube and the secondunitized cube, and (i) placing a sixth adhesive patch at the proximalside of the interface between the first unitized cube and the secondunitized cube.
 10. The method of claim 9 further comprising: (j)repeating steps a) through i) to create a pallet load of unitized cubes;(k) stacking the pallet load directly on top of each other to formvertical columns such that the corners of the boxes are stacked on topof each other from box to box; and (l) repeating step k) until the fulldesired height of the pallet load is achieved.
 11. The method of claim10, further comprising placing an adhesive patch on any non-edge forminginterface between two or more boxes not already connected.
 12. Themethod of claim 10, further comprising placing an adhesive patch at theinterfaces between two or more boxes for only the two layers of cubesclosest to the pallet.
 13. The method of claim 10, further comprisingplacing an adhesive patch on any columns of boxes internal to the outerlayer of boxes on the pallet on which adhesive patches are placed. 14.The method of claim 10, further comprising placing an adhesive patch atthe interfaces between two or more boxes on the top of the topmost layerof adjacent boxes stacked on the pallet.